Posts Tagged With: Amelia Eisenhauer

Is this bothering anyone else as much as it’s bothering me? I mean how many weeks have we been watching this season (and keep in mind, there are actually only 5 more weeks left until it’s OVER!), and we haven’t been able to vote a single time? I wasn’t mad about this last week because I think the judges picked just about everyone I would pick (minus picking Gianna over Stephaney). But this week stung. Seeing super qualified people that didn’t really get a lot of screen time, lose out, in favor of contestants who were heavily featured and have by some crazy metric “a good storyline”

Don’t get me wrong, I know I’m a bit of a hypocrite because I am still really glad that Jenn made it through despite her poor performance yesterday. But to see Tristan (and Lee and Manny for that matter), make it through over Amelia, it just wasn’t something that I wanted to see. And I really thought she was good enough. Even if you put both performances up against Pickles (which I’ve learned is Kellie Pickler’s nickname and I love it), Amelia had an outstandingly better performance. Tristan SCREAMED of not being ready for this yet. I would also be mad about Shelbie had I not already had it in my head that she wouldn’t go through.

While I did like Adam and CJ’s performance, I don’t feel anything by them not being selected to move forward. But Amelia…

So with that, lets just talk about the duets in order, so I can get talking about Amelia out of the way as quickly as possible.

Amelia Eisenhauer and Kellie Pickler – Suds in the Bucket

I seriously LOVE Kellie Pickler. She’s one of my favorite idol contestants. I never thought she’d win or anything, I just loved her personality. And I love when she’s on Ellen! Seriously, do yourselves a favor and watch this, this and this (my personal favorite). How she doesn’t have her own talk show is beyond me, because I could watch her ALL day. But back to Amelia, I know I said I loved her and then I spend a paragraph talking about how much I love Kellie Pickler. I should use my Tristan paragraph for this conversation since I didn’t really have anything nice to say about Tristan. Alternatively, I have a lot of nice things to say about Amelia. I thought her performance was easily in the top 4 of the night. If not the top 3. She held her own against Kellie’s voice and that is not easy (see: Tristan’s performance). I loved the fiddling. I loved the song (one that I totally forgot about how much I loved – and quickly downloaded). I just loved everything about this performance, and I’m really going to miss Amelia. #gonetoosoon.

Kory Wheeler and Haley Reinhart – Bennie and the Jets

Sweet Kory. I thought this was a good last performance for you. I think we all knew this would be the last time we’d see Kory. I don’t think anyone believed he’d really crack that Top 7, but he played great back-up vocals for Haley. And if you thought I could spend a lot of time talking about my love of Kellie Pickler’s personality, I can also talk that long about how much I loved Haley’s voice. But what I really need to talk about is a one Jennifer Lopez. I think it needs to be addressed that that lady is a straight up LIAR. I’m sorry Jen but you are not remembering history correctly. Between you, Randy and Steven, you sabotaged Haley. You never wanted her to succeed and you were always more critical of her than any other contestant, to.a.fault. Man that really infuriated me. I wish someone had made a youtube montage of all the times the judges were straight up jerks to Haley, so that I could prove my point but just trust me on this one. Google proved it pretty well though:

Lee Jean (Valjean) and Chris Daughtry – Home

My best friend was asking how Lee pronounced his last name and I told her “like John, or a french person saying legion with a lot of emphasis” and she goes “Oh like Jean Valjean”. Yes. Exactly like that. And now I will never call Lee anything else. I was hoping that I could actually forget about him after this somwhat drab, not great performance… no such luck though. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I had a feeling he’d be picked – first was a load of crap – but I knew he’d be in. It’s not that he’s a terrible performer or anything, but he’s 1 of 4 performers (5 if you include those that didn’t make it through to the top 14) that I just think are too young for the competition. And the judges can’t even help but bring up his youth… and yet here he is, still on stage like the other 3 (Gianna, Tristan and Thomas).

CJ Johnson and David Cook – The World I Know

It’s funny because when they were prepping this next package, I was looking at CJ and thinking – is that what David Cook looks like now? Turns out I almost completely forgot what David Cook looks like. And it fit with this song because when it ended all I could think was – I’m going to forget about this by tomorrow. Also I spent most of the time trying to remember who sang this song. I thought it was the Goo Goo Dolls but was reminded that it’s Collective Soul.

Manny Torres and Jordin Sparks – No Air

I actually thought this performance was pretty decent. Sure I was thinking the whole time how much taller Jordin is than both Manny and Ryan, but I was still able to concentrate on the performance, which meant it was good enough to at least hold my attention. I still really didn’t think Manny would make it through. I would almost say I was borderline shocked, because I thought at least CJ got more screen time, and Adam had 2 really solid performances. But they went with Manny. I’m not mad about it or anything. Mostly just indifferent. I feel like I’m going to be very critical of his performances when it comes voting time.

Jenn Blosil and Constantine Maroulis – My Funny Valentine

It might come as a shocker to nobody, but this was my favorite performance of the night. I thought Jenn did a great job redeeming herself from last night. And maybe I was just still defensive of Haley, but I got really defensive of Jenn when Harry laid in his criticisms. Thank god for Keith, who probably saved her tonight. I owe you one, Keith! Also, for some reason I got it in my head that if John Stamos (who doesn’t really have a bad singing voice) had Constantine’s singing voice, he would probably be the perfect person. And then I had to reminisce about the time he covered that song Forever (by the Beach Boys) on Full House. Let’s all reminisce, shall we?

Also, it should be noted that I prefer the music video he did for this, but I liked this video more as far as quality of the video on youtube. Plus who doesn’t love a good gospel choir?

Tristan McIntosh and Kellie Pickler – Best Days of Your Life

And after the best performance of the night, we had the worst. Tristan, look, you’re going to be a great singer, but compared to the experience of some of the older contestants on this show, and definitely compared to Kellie, you are just not ready. Her singing seemed faulty at best and she didn’t really embrace the stage either. The later part is forgivable but the former – sorry honey. Just can’t root for ya. And have I mentioned how much I love Kellie Pickler?

Olivia Rox and David Cook – Light On

So, now I’m convinced that it was a million little Olivia’s that got David Cook his win on American Idol. Right? How was I so amazed by how star struck she was with one of the least memorable American Idols (next to Ruben and Taylor and probably Caleb and Nick when it comes down to it). It’s funny how many times the white guys win Idol and yet their often some of the least successful. Case in point: David Cook. But I digress. I thought this performance was really good and I think it was definitely a good paring of voices and a pretty decent song, no less. I must say the song choices tonight were far superior to the song choices last night. And last week for that matter.

Adam Lasher and Haley Reinhart – Can’t Help Falling in Love

Part of me thought this was fantastic. Part of me thought, this is the performance to beat, but every time I looked up at Adam, I was grossed out. I don’t know why but he just skeeved me out last night. His face with that haircut made him look weirdly chubby, and his “come have sex with me eyes” that he was giving Haley were definitely creepy. But when you didn’t look at them, it was amazing. But then once the show was over, I got super pissed all over again. Just another smack in the face to Haley, as neither contestant she sang with made it through! I’d like to believe it wasn’t just one final f-you from the Judges and that in fact, Haley just sounded so much better than the other two, that it made them look bad… but I really think it was just one more final dig by Jenny from the Block.

Those are my angry eyes.

Dalton Rapattoni and Chris Daughtry – Higher Ground

I thought this was a fine, middle of the pack performance. Nothing more, nothing less. But like Lee, I was sure that Dalton would make it through. Unlike Lee, I’m ok with that happening, if for nothing else than Daltons really great ability to pick a song. It’s an important characteristic of an Idol contestant, for me.

Trent Harmon and Jordin Sparks – To Love Somebody

I am a sucker for a boy/girl duet as opposed to a same sex duet. And I thought Trent again, sounded really good (against my want for him to sound really good). I just have this fear he’s going to make it to the Top 2 and I’m going to hate every second of it because I am bias and I do want a girl to win and I’m scared that if he makes it into the top 2, he’ll win. And is that really the last American Idol you want in this world? It isn’t for me, I can tell you that much.

Shelbie Z and Constantine Maroulis – Bohemian Rhapsody

When I saw they were doing this song my first thought was, why? Seemed like a difficult song, especially to do just a small portion from it. But I thought they absolutely killed this performance. And while I didn’t really have Shelbie in my Top 7, I was sure she’d be in the judges after that performance. Then I heard their critique and was really surprised. I didn’t see anything negative coming at all. But there it was. I only say that Amelia was robbed more than Shelbie because Shelbie has been on reality tv singing competitions before, and I just like Amelia’s voice a little more – but really all things considered, Shelbie was just as much if not more robbed by the judges than Amelia.

Also, in case you were wondering who America’s favorites were over the last 2 weeks, it looks a little something like this:

It’s kind of like the dirty dozen. I did almost call this post “The Mono-filled Dozen” because was it just me or did a lot of tonights crew look mono-ridden? Especially the boys!

Tonight was really interesting. It’s hard for me to compare it to last week because honestly it’s hard for me to think back to last week. I think I have stomach flu PTSD. But from what I recall there were a handful of good performances, and last night was no different. There were exactly 4 contestants that I really liked, and then one more that I hope still makes it through. I feel pretty good about that because it means that the judges can allow in those 5, and then they can still allow 2 more without me blowing a gasket. It’s a win win for everybody.

So let’s go through the contestants from tonight and I’ll try to do another “say one nice thing/one criticism” for each contestant and we’ll see how it goes.

Shelbie Z – Work Hard, Play Harder

+ I thought she was a great way to start the show because I knew she’d be really energetic and most likely, a solid performance.

– While the performance was solid, it was also somewhat forgettable. To me, it was just like every other performance she’s done to date. I just want to see her maybe connect with a song, do a song with some emotion and not just one with a good glory note at the end.

Manny Torres – Adventures of a Lifetime

+ He was one of my favorite guys going into tonight.

– Well… the minus is with myself I guess. I’ve been poo-pooing so many of the guys this season, and I think the only reason I really liked Manny was his energy and his attitude. Listening to his song tonight (and after hearing the remaining contestants), I thought he was actually one of the worst performances by a guy tonight. These things happen though. I wasn’t that attached at this point so now is probably the time to drop off this bandwagon.

Kory Wheeler – Let it Go

+ I didn’t have anything against the performance itself.

– And as for the minus…

Amelia Eisenhauser (or is it Eisenhauer? I’ve seen it both ways) – Wake Me Up

+ I learned to like this song when Majesty Rose sang it last year (two years ago? really? that was two years ago?) and I thought Amelia made it sound even better. She really picked a good time to come out with a great song! And she was one of the very few that picked a great song to sing tonight so I feel like that deserves a little bonus clap!

– I really don’t have any. I guess my only negative is that I worry that she’s competition for Jeneve, and vice versa. I hope people don’t forget about her because I feel like she’s gaining a good momentum at this point. I hope it continues!

Jenn Blosil – Sorry

+ I really really really wish I had one. And if anyone was wondering about that one person I want to go through even though they didn’t have a good performance, if you didn’t guess Jenn, you don’t know me very well.

– It was just… it was not good. It was so out of tune. Part of me wondered if she had some kind of Adele mic issue going on but I think we all know that wasn’t it.

CJ Johnson – I’ll Be.

+ He sang very well.

– That song… oh god that song. Do you know HOW MANY times that song has been performed on idol? If ever there was a time to discuss poor song choice, it was with CJ. Nothing against CJ, but seriously, everything against CJ. Know your idol history, brah. He could’ve done so well with some kind of rock song (even slowed down to an “I’ll Be” pace) but this song was terrible, and he changed nothing about it so to me, it was just a guy who’s pretty good at karaoke singing a song I’ve heard 100 times at karaoke.

Lee Jean – Runaway

+ Good song choice, and Lee is a cute kid.

– Much like Kory Wheeler… I just thought it was forgettable.

Trent Mother Fucking Harmon – What Are You Listening To?

+ What most surprised me tonight… and I know, this is shameful what with all my resistance to him getting to this point in the competition. I hate myself a little bit for even saying this… but I really liked Trent tonight!

– Just me over here hating myself for liking Trent. Hopefully it goes away. Lord knows his mono hasn’t. More negatives, this was the best performance of the night, if you ask me.

Tristan McIntosh – Good Girl

+ When compared to Gianna, who I think is her biggest competition, I thought she was stellar.

– I feel like she was really sharp at points of her performance. She didn’t really have a good amount of stage presence (though I felt I could say that about a lot of people last night) and compared to the rest of the girls in this competition, she just isn’t Top 10 material for me. Maybe in a few more years or something.

Adam Lasher – Black and Gold

+ Adding to the list of people I thought I was “so over” that I ended up really liking, is Adam. I genuinely enjoyed his performance tonight and for me he was second only to Trent.

– I did agree with Harry’s criticism of his tempo but for me it was negligible. I just hope he keeps singing songs like this (a song I don’t think I’ve ever heard).

Dalton Rapattoni – Rebel Yell

+ Dalton is one of the very few people this season who really know how to pick a song. He is so creative with his song choices and it’s something I genuinely REALLY like about him. If I had to pick a Top 7 for myself, he’d definitely be in it. And I didn’t have that feeling going into tonight.

– I’m obsessing over whether his eye color is real because the blue eyes throw me off. They don’t look natural to me – but if they are – then maybe he’s just a Cal Ripken/Frank Sinatra/Bradley Cooper type with strikingly blue eyes, yet dark features? I mean it has been known to happen.

Olivia Rox – Confident

+ I wasn’t familiar with the original song but after listening to it, I think I actually liked Olivia’s version more.

– She really doesn’t have the vocal power that Demi has and it really showed in this performance. I think had I not listened to the original song, I would’ve liked Olivia’s performance a lot more, but I can’t un-listen to it.

So, with that, I think if I had to pick a Top 07 (and boy do I wish I could do something like, I dunno… VOTE!?!?!?!? I would) I would pick:

Olivia, Amelia, Trent, Adam, Jenn (with hopes that tonight was a screw up), and probably Dalton and CJ. So many more guys than I thought I would root for, but it is what it is! Being as they only kept 2 guys last week, it’s probably appropriate that I have 4 guys that I think are worth saving this week.

And for the duets tonight, who do you think will perform with whom? We’ve got David Cook, Chris Daughtry, Constantine Maroulis, Kellie Pickler, Haley Reinhart and Jordin Sparks. That’s a lot of rock and not a lot of rockers tonight. And I pity whoever gets paired with Haley because they’re probably going to sound terrible. Here are some guesses from me, but their just wild guesses. No grounding in actual fact or reasoning…

Tonight felt like a really great episode. Maybe it’s because I watched it late and with fast forwarding through commercials the whole episode only took me about 20-25 minutes to watch. And the contestants were really good! In fact, I have my first Chorus Line moment of the season. I hope she gets it, god I hope she gets it. She being Jenna Renae and it being a spot on the live show! There were a lot of really good contestants though, most of which I’d be happy to see move on to the Top 24 (I have to imagine at least 3 will get in from this batch, that’s my guess). And in a suprise similarity to previous episodes, my top 3 this week are again, all females!

And I do really hope that these ladies get stuff done because to be honest, I’m partial to a female winning the final season. It’s only right to bookend it with another Kelly. Or Carrie. Or even Fantasia. So anyway, lets talk about my Top 3 of the night, and then mention a few others:

Jenna Renae – 23 years old from Williamson, NYSong: She Don’t Love You

Jenna was just wonderful. Her singing just completely drew me in. I also liked the note about how her parents used to listen to show tunes with her. It’s always a solid start to a musical background, no? I think it is as long as you aren’t too theatrical, which she definitely wasn’t. She was just the right amount of attention grabbing in a very good way. On the whole,

My second 2 are a tie. I really don’t know who I like better.

Emily Brooke – 16 year old from Wellington, FLSong: Careless

Emily was great. I didn’t recognize her face but I did recognize her name and then when they flashed back to her audition last year I realized who she was. It’s amazing how different someone can look in just a year! Then, like I did with John Wayne from last episode, I re-listened to what I could find of her from last season and I have to say, you’ve come a long way (in a year) baby! Although her voice is just as good, she just seems more composed and more ready to take on the season. She’s still young, don’t get me wrong, but I do think there’s a big difference from a just barely 15 to an almost 17.

Amelia Eisenhauer – 15 year old from Nashville, TNSong: Many Rivers to Cross

So the reason for my tie between Em and Am, is that Em has kind of already had her chance, while I think Am might be a little too young to get her first chance, as she is only 15 at of this moment. Well, as of the moment this was taped. She could be 18 by now for all I know. Either way though, she had an aggressiveness about her audition that really drew me to her. She seemed very… commanding. Which I think is rare for a young performer. It’s one of the reasons you don’t want a 15 year old on stage, but since she lacks that problem, I’m fine with moving her into my Top 3 position.

As for honorable mentions the only thing I can say is that I really liked Mackenzie Bourg‘s medley. I didn’t really like him, because to me he was just 1,800 other auditions I’ve seen. He didn’t really stand out to me beyond the excellent compilation of songs, which I still support him doing, just maybe not being the one who sings them. He was also kind of a whisperer, which I found very odd.

Some final thoughts:

Ugh Clay Aiken – who knew you’d be on so much of the final season after all that hate you spewed about the show that made you a D-Lister… Was Aiken really the best that Idol could get for that job? I just feel like there are so many better options. But I guess the better people are busy with their better things. So I guess it makes sense. But to try and be Simon with that half-shirted guy? I mean come on. You are not, nor will you ever be, Simon Cowell.

If I were handing out awards for make-overs, Adam Lasher would not be on my list. How did you go from cool rocker to looking like a crooner from the 30’s? It may be someones look, but it’s not mine. I say stick with the Santana vibe, personally (but again I go back to Brenda K. Starr’s offspring – if you have a famous parent/relative, why are you coming to Idol in the first place? I mean playing the nepotism card works pretty often.

Finally, of all the “tough decisions” the judges have had to make this season, none of which they’ve really even argued about – did you really have to use the blind guy are your example of good people who aren’t “good enough” when you keep every 15 year old who walks through the door? Mario, I think you were robbed! Sure you might not have made it to the live show, but you had more of a chance than a solid quarter of what I’ve seen go through. And while I would be angry and need justification, I then remembered – didn’t this guy try out for The Glee Project? I feel like he was eliminated early from that too… so if Ryan Murphy didn’t think he’d succeed in that space, I’m ok with Idol not taking him.

And with that, we move on to tomorrow where we’ll have the LAST audition episode EVER for Idol. I wanted to make a bunch of “penultimate” references on here, because it’s a word I love, but Slezak used it in his headline and I didn’t wanna look like I was copying – so I’ll just say that I hope Slezak and I are just similarly minded. I mean, we definitely are. He just hasn’t noticed me yet… haha